HIGHLIGHTS

Even as the nation is gripped in the fervour of surgical strikes that annihilated terrorist launchpads in PoK, Pakistan High Commissioner to India, today denied the strikes.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Abdul Basit said that Pakistan is striving to have good ties with India. He said that it was a cross border firing and not a surgical strike which was a result of ceasefire violation.

When asked about the leaked tape with senior police official from Pakistan confirming India's surgical strikes, Basit said that the confession tapes were fabricated.

Further asserting his stand on the recent surgical strikes, Basit said that evidence could always be fabricated.

Basit also rejected claims made by Pakistan's military analyst Ayesha Siddiqa confirming the surgical strikes.

NO STRIKES SO NO VIDEO EVIDENCE

When asked about the clamour over evidence of the surgical strikes, Basit said that as far as Pakistan was concerned since there was no strike they were not concerned about video evidence.

"If there was any surgical strike, Pakistan would have responded proportionately," said Basit.

Following the surgical strikes several countries backed out of the SAARC Summit. Basit, however, said that SAARC was not cancelled but was postponed. He further added that Pakistan will host SAARC in future.

When asked about delay in prosecuting those involved in Mumbai terror attack, Basit said that Pakistan is committed but it is helpless without India's cooperation on these matters.

"Our investigation on Pathankot is progressing even though India Pakistan relations are deteriorating," he said on being asked about Pakistan's investigation into the Pathankot attack.

INDIA BLAMING PAKISTAN FOR URI ATTACK

Basit stated that India did not lose a moment to blame Pakistan for Uri attack and expected Pakistan to condemn the incident.

When asked about exiled Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti's decision to seek asylum in India Basit said that there is a foreign agenda to destabilise Pakistan. He added that Balochis are patriotic and a policy will be decided accordingly for them.